Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has downplayed the US mine-sweeping drill in the Persian Gulf as yet another failure for Washington, IRNA reported.
"The Americans' big claims in this maneuver and the very poor performance they staged marked another disgrace for them," Vahidi said on Saturday.
"They attempted to make it appear significant through a political and propaganda campaign but they failed," he added, referring to the limited volume and scope of the drills.
"A few countries that joined the US in this political and propaganda maneuver played weak and passive roles," Vahidi explained.
The Iranian defense minister said the drills could barely be called a maneuver given the few moves it exercised in few locations of the vast area of the Persian Gulf.
Vahidi blamed the United States for attempting to depict the region as insecure and called the drills a bid to stabilize its military presence in the Persian Gulf region.
Vahidi said an analysis of the mine-sweepings reveals that the US made serious mistakes in setting objectives, planning scenarios, and performing them.
Holding such exercises is considered as "a political move" aimed at lifting the spirits of allies rather than a military operation, he concluded.